When simple chores like dressing, combing your hair or tying your shoe laces become impossible due to shoulder pain, it is time you considered getting a checkup for rotator cuff injury. The good news is that this is treatable through surgery.

In the US, for example, over 2.5M people consult the doctor for shoulder pain, and over 250,000 rotator cuff surgeries are performed annually, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

If you are looking for affordable rotator cuff surgery in India, the following information will be useful to you:

Overview of the procedure

Depending on the amount of injury you have on your shoulder tendons, the doctor may opt for either open surgery, or arthroscopic surgery. The latter utilizes a miniature camera and tiny surgical instruments during the operation.

The patient therefore undergoes surgery to reattach the torn tendon to the humerus; where the tear is minor, debridement of the affected tissues is done, while in the case of complex tears, two sets of tissue are stitched back together.

Rotator cuff surgery is performed under general or local anesthesia and takes 1-2 hours.

Time required

Days in hospital – 5 days

Advised stay in India after Rotator cuff surgery – 1 week

Complete recovery after Rotator cuff surgery – 2 months

Cost of rotator cuff surgery in India

Rotator cuff surgery in India costs between $2500 and $4000 depending on the doctor, and hospital chosen and type of procedure you undergo.

What are the potential risks?

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair has success rate of over 80% as far as improvement in shoulder function is concerned, according to research done by Lennard Funk Consultant, a UK Orthopaedic Surgeon.

The surgery, however, comes with some risks including infection of the incision, pesistent pain or stiffness, bleeding, numbness and tenderness around the wound area.

What to expect after rotator cuff surgery?

The arm will be kept in a sling to immobilize your shoulder and an icepack is applied for comfort

Physiotherapy is administered to help your shoulder regain mobility and strength

Take your pain medication as prescribed by the doctor for pain management

Stay on the alert for signs of complications including fever, redness on the wound which could be an infection, increase in pain. Inform your doctor immediately.